


A Promise

by ChocoNut



Series: Many ways to say I love you [3]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Post Season 7, Post-Canon, Season 8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 14:54:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16725534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocoNut/pseuds/ChocoNut
Summary: Jaime arrives at Winterfell. And when he meets Brienne, he explains why he rode North.





	A Promise

The moment he rode into the gates, Jaime looked around, his eyes searching for the wench who constantly occupied his mind and his heart these days. But the only welcome he was subjected to, was Daenerys’ disapproval and Jon’s mild indifference. Jon had reacted a little more reasonably compared to the queen once Jaime had explained his solitary presence. He was ready to give Jaime the benefit of doubt for the time being. Much to Jaime’s surprise, it was Sansa who had the strongest opinion about him.

“I’d believe him,” she told Jon.

“How do you know anything about him?” Jon asked his sister, surprised.

She smiled, looking directly at Jaime. “Lady Brienne trusts him more than anyone else, and I trust her. So why don’t we wait till she returns and listen to what she has to say?”

Jaime took a deep breath. _Lady Brienne._ The mere mention of the name was enough to set his heart aflutter, his anxiety mounting as he waited with bated breath to meet the only person who believed in the man he truly was. _Where was she?_

After a minute’s thinking, Jon agreed with Sansa. “If you say so. She should be back tonight.” He turned to Jaime. “We can talk later, Ser Jaime.” He sent a man with Jaime to show him to the guest chambers.

Before he retired for the day, he wanted to find out about Brienne’s whereabouts. Why was she nowhere to be seen? He requested to see Sansa, he had to know if his wench was well.

“Where is Brienne?” He came directly to the point, a cold fear gripping his heart. Had something happened to her? Was she injured, or worse still... “I hope she’s--”

“She’s fine, Ser Jaime,” Sansa reassured him. “She is out with a squad to investigate a wight attack that has been reported a few miles from here. She should be back by sundown.”

Jaime closed his eyes, heaving a huge sigh of relief. The long ride North had given him enough time for a lot of self-introspection, enough to realize that it had been Brienne all along, not Cersei. He was apprehensive about facing her again, for fear that she might not be too keen to meet him after the way he had treated her at the Dragonpit. Circumstances had always pitted them against each other, and he had no other choice but to put her off that day. He remembered how upset she was, the look in her eyes haunting him for days after that.

How could he possibly tell her that he had been equally heartbroken after their interaction?

His distress might have been obvious on his face, for Sansa gave him a soothing smile. “I’ll send word as soon as she returns.”

There were only a couple of hours to go until dusk, but time seemed to crawl. Jaime had never been this unsettled before. What would he tell her? Was he to apologize to her first? Or was he to pour his heart out? A part of his nervousness also stemmed from the uncertainty of what was in her mind. The Brienne that he had known all these years had always wanted to be a knight. She was a warrior, not someone who would be content with just being a wife or a mother. Life for her meant much more than that. He would be happy to support her with the life she wished for. She could be the ruler and heir of Tarth, while also being his wife and the mother of his children. She could be the warrior she always craved to be and the knight he never was. All this, ofcourse, made any sense only if she felt the same about him. He knew she respected him and held him in high regard. But did she consider him more than just a fellow knight? The only way to put an end to his misery would be to directly ask her.

At long last, a man knocked on his door giving him the message that Brienne had arrived. “Where can I find the lady’s chambers?” Jaime inquired, his impatience to see her again getting the better of him.

+++++

“Ser Jaime!” her eyes widened, her expression a mixture of shock and surprise. Too stunned to respond to his unexpected presence at her door, she didn’t even question him when he entered the room without her consent. Jaime allowed himself a proper look at her. She looked exactly the same as he had last seen her.

“It’s good to see you again, Brienne,” he hoped the uneasy knot in his chest would dissolve, allowing him to speak normally.

Brienne blinked a few times before she could react. “I’m glad to see you too, Ser Jaime.”

He had expected their meeting to be awkward, but not so much that he would be left tongue-tied in her presence. He was wondering what to say next, when they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

“Enter,” Brienne commanded.

Podrick Payne was about to step inside, but stood rooted to his spot as soon as he saw Jaime. “Ser Jaime,” the boy gave him a cheerful grin.

“Hello, Pod,” Jaime smiled back.The young man did seem to have matured over the years. “I’m so glad see you again.”

“So am I, m’lord,” Pod replied. He turned to Brienne. “I’m here to help you with your armour, m’lady...Should I come later?”

“Take the evening off, Pod. I’ll assist her,” Jaime answered before Brienne could reply. Pod looked at her, who after a minute’s hesitation nodded her approval for him to leave. The young squire left the room closing the door behind him.

Brienne went and sat down at the edge of her bed, carefully avoiding his eyes as he approached her. “May I?” Without waiting for an answer, he knelt beside her and began unbuckling the clasps on her shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a flush creeping up her neck and slowly spreading to her cheeks. _She blushes when I touch her,_ he thought, encouraged.

“My lady,” he began, his fingers shaking as he struggled to stay focused on what he was doing. “Here I am, all alone--”

“I know,” she interrupted. “There’s no army. The queen...”

“...betrayed you...us,” his voice cracked when he was reminded of Cersei’s breach of her promise.

“Then why are you here?” There was hurt in her eyes, reminiscent of their unpleasant conversation that day. “Why abandon your sister? What is worth treason and betrayal of your family?”

“ _This goes beyond houses_. You were the one who advised me, right?” He moved slightly closer under the pretext of getting the angle right as he continued working on her shoulder. “I chose to support the truth instead of my house. I made a promise.”

“The word your sister gave the queen, you mean?”

“Yes, that, and much more…” he scratched his head, wondering how to get his point across effectively. “Remember what you said at Riverrun? _I know there is honour in you_ ,” he repeated her statement. “When I saw you leave after our Dragonpit meeting, I made a promise to myself that I would live up to your trust in me.”

“What you told me was quite the contrary,” she sounded upset, her tone slightly accusatory. “I approached you with the belief that you would convince the queen.”

“Which was why I didn’t want to let you down, Brienne.” Another pang of regret hit him as he remembered his words. “I said a lot of things that day for which I owe you an apology. I had to behave the way I did. If I had not been curt to you, Cersei might have--” he refrained from saying _had you killed._ “Once you left, I felt miserable. I immediately tried to convince her, but to no avail. Fortunately Tyrion managed to do what I couldn’t, but once she went back on her word, I could take it no more.”

“You came because…?” she gave him a quizzical look.

“I came because I wanted to do the right thing,” he dropped his gaze, blushing slightly. “And I came here for _you_ , because of you.”

She stared at him, astonished. Together they had managed to dismantle the armour, but his hand lingered on her shoulder. She didn’t push it away, which was a good sign.

“Brienne, what I’m trying to tell you is…” he was unsure of how to express what he wanted to say, but he had to try. “I left Cersei for the realm, but it was only after you showed me the way. If it were not for you, I’d still be fighting for the wrong side.”

“I did nothing, Ser Jaime,” Brienne shook her head. “I had only approached you to request you on behalf of Sansa.”

“Whatever be the reason, I needed that push from you, like I did the time I wanted to die at Harrenhal,” he took a deep breath. “You’ve shown me the way when I was lost, guided me back on the right path when I strayed.”

“I don’t know what to say,” she looked confused.

“You’re the light that has banished the darkness in my life, Brienne,” he said affectionately. He didn’t know if she believed him or not, but when she didn’t counter-question, he sat down next to her, placing his palm on her face. “What would I do without you?” He caressed her cheek gently with his thumb, enjoying her blush which deepened at his touch.

She said nothing, though her eyes spoke volumes, telling him all that he needed to know.

“I want to help you with your armour for the rest of your life, wench. I want to grow old with you,” he gazed at her longingly, grasping her hand. “I want to see you rule Tarth, to stay by your side for as long as there is life in me…”

He paused for breath.

“... but only if you wish the same, Brienne.”

Jaime was almost certain of her feelings for him though she had not uttered a word yet, but he didn’t want to pressurize her. “I don’t want an answer now. Think about it, and if you feel the same about me, meet me at the Godswood at dawn.”

When he reached the door, he turned to her. “I’ll be waiting for you, wench,” he left the room, praying that this wasn’t a big mistake or just a horrible misunderstanding on his part.

+++++

Jaime restlessly paced the woods, his eyes darting towards the entrance from time to time. It was well past dawn, but there was no sign of Brienne. Last night he had been sure she loved him, so why wasn’t she here now? Thoroughly disappointed and disheartened, he trudged along, making his way back to the castle, when he saw her at a distance. Nearing him, she looked up, her face the colour of the setting sun when she met his eyes. Thought he didn’t want to get his hopes too high, his heart skipped a beat when she gave him a shy little smile.

“Ser Jaime…” she hesitated, looking as flustered as him.

“Your presence gives me a glimmer of hope,” he allowed himself a smile. “Please tell me I’m not mistaken, Brienne.”

“I didn’t sleep a wink,” she spoke to the ground, shifting her weight uncomfortably from one foot to another. “I have been awaiting the first rays of the sun all night, so I could come to you, to tell you that I…”

“Tell me what?” he had been aching to hear this all these days.

“What do you see in an ugly warrior maiden like me?” she asked, ignoring his question.

“If I wanted a pretty maid I would’ve been married long back, wench.” _Little does she know how smitten I am with her!_ “But it is this pure hearted warrior maiden who has captured my mind, my very being and my soul. So tell me, my lady, how do I solve this problem?”

“I’m no lady,” she mumbled, fiddling with her fingernails now. “How can I be a proper wife or a mother?”

“I don’t want a proper wife, Brienne,” Jaime took a step closer. “I want you to be my wife, to be by my side for the rest of my life. I’ve not been a great father, nor do I know how to be a husband. We’ll learn together. It can be one step at a time.” She had still not spoken about her feelings plainly and he had to know. “Before that, I want to know what is in your heart.”

“Don’t you dare pretend to be ignorant, ser!” she chided him gently. “My feelings for you have been so obvious that even your sister could see it. The day she confronted me was when I realized…” she blushing harder, unable to continue.

“In my case, it was Bronn. He kept hinting all along, but I was blinded by my obsession for Cersei,” he said ruefully. “Obsession, which I mistook for love. How much time I have wasted!”

“Better late than never,” she smiled, her hand sliding down his right arm.

The realization of his uselessness suddenly struck Jaime like a thorn in his happiness when he was reminded of his maiming. “I’m not sure if I’m worthy of you, Brienne.”

“After all that you did for me, how could such a thing even occur to you?” she asked in disbelief.

“I have nothing that I can call mine,” he mumbled. “I’ve given up my family, I lack my sword hand…” He stopped, staring at his right hand sadly.

“I can be your family,” she took the golden hand off his stump and tossed it away. “You won’t need this anymore, not when you are with me.” She caressed his stump and brought it to her lips, kissing his scar. “Don’t be ashamed of this, for it is a symbol of your honour, your righteousness and your chivalry--”

“It’s a constant reminder that I am incomplete and useless--” he said sullenly.

“No,” her eyes shone with a brightness that he had never seen before. “This is a reminder of what we have been through together, and a reason to hope for better days to come. This is why we stand together today, on the same side, Ser Jaime. This is why we fell in love!”

_Love._ “So does this mean--” Jaime was so elated that he wanted to shout out to the world that he was in love. And she loved him back. All his life he had to hide his feelings, his emotions, but not anymore. He could match steps with Brienne, hold her hand and walk with her, his head held high.

“Are you still in doubt?” Brienne drew closer, biting her lip coyly. “I must apologize for not saying anything last night. I had a lot to say, but your sudden appearance left me confused and muddled. I shouldn’t have kept you waiting the whole night.”

“I would have waited my whole life for you, wench,” he pulled her into his arms. “I give myself to you, my body, my mind and my soul...”

“...And I am yours, Ser Jaime, I will always be yours,” she whispered in his ear.

Their lips met in a kiss as sweet as honey. As soon as they had overcome their inhibitions, the sweetness was slowly replaced by their burning desire and need for each other, the pent up frustration inside them manifesting itself into their kiss which was nothing like Jaime had ever experienced before. For a few golden moments which felt like eternity, the realm was forgotten and the two of them were enveloped in each other, lost in their own world.

Many minutes, or maybe hours later, they made their way back to the castle, hand in hand. Jaime vowed that from then on, he would treasure every minute of his life, for every minute would be a minute spent with Brienne for as long as he lived.

For the first time in many years, he wanted to live for himself... and for his wench, who was now a part of him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I had been deliberating whether to post this or not, in the end decided to go ahead with it.  
> Thank you for reading. Do share your comments :)


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